Christmas

In this atmospheric piece Gabriel Jackson sets a text by the Victorian poet Christina Rossetti. The first stanza is sung by sopranos only, with expressive chromatic lines evoking the 'darkness' and 'c...

The simple and graceful folk melody of this characterful Romanian carol is skilfully shared between parts in its verse and refrain structure.

Setting two verses of the Irish traditional carol, Wilberg's version opens simply with unaccompanied unison men, before the piano creeps in gently. The carol melody's haunting, modal qualities are com...

This reflective carol (setting a text by the composer) features an affecting recurring melody, sumptuous harmonies, and long, expressive phrases. Though it has moments of great intensity, the carol is...

Owain Park's arrangement of John Rutter's secular carol presents a new take on this Christmas classic, drawing on Rutter's evocative orchestral colours to create this characterful arrangement. This ar...

for SATB (with divisions) unaccompanied This Advent carol is based on words from John Donne's Holy Sonnets. McDowall creates a captivating atmosphere as the voices explore a mystical soundworld. The s...

This Christmas miniature captures the intimacy and atmosphere of the well-loved 16th-century text. Through homophonic textures, word-painting, the use of extended harmonies, and a lilting rhythm, the...

Pete Churchill's thrilling arrangement of this traditional Cornish carol has a gentle South African feel and features 'scat' singing and chromatic shifts in harmony. The traditional melody in 6/8 time...

This setting of the well-known fifteenth-century text is both simple and effective. With enchanting solos and a gentle choral refrain, this tender carol will bring a moment of stillness and reflection...

James Kevin Gray's tender carol Little Baby, Born of Mary successfully juxtaposes sound and silence, with warm harmonies and gentle rhythms providing the musical backdrop for the timeless story of the...

In this beautiful, atmospheric arrangement of Franz Gruber's 'Silent night' Sarah Quartel employs choral divisi and unexpected harmonies to create a lush bed of sound over which the soprano duet soars...

Parry presents a fresh take on this popular 15th-century macaronic carol through appealing imitation, strong rhythmic interest, and imaginative harmonic language, leading to a satisfying Tierce de Pic...

In this lively 6/8 setting, Assersohn explores a macaronic 15th-century text ('A Patre Unigenitus/Through a maiden is come'), with its exclamations of 'Eya!' reinforcing festive celebration. Featuring...

This thought-provoking carol takes up the topical theme of the plight of refugees, drawing parallels with the stories and reception of Christ's birth. The text, by the composer, alludes to familiar li...

Offprinted from Carols for Choirs 5, this exquisite setting of a familiar text by Isaac Watts has flexible scoring, with choirs encouraged to explore different options for each of the four verses. The...

Originally published in the anthology, An American Christmas, this is a serene setting of a macaronic text by M. K. Dean describing the song the angels sang for the birth of the Christ-child.

Parry presents a fresh take on this popular 15th-century macaronic carol through appealing imitation, strong rhythmic interest, and imaginative harmonic language, leading to a satisfying Tierce de Pic...

In this lively 6/8 setting, Assersohn explores a macaronic 15th-century text ('A Patre Unigenitus/Through a maiden is come'), with its exclamations of 'Eya!' reinforcing festive celebration. Featuring...

Written to commemorate the centenary of the foundation of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Brightest Star sets a powerful text by Seán Street. The poem describ...

This gentle carol sets a well-known text, 'Balulalow', that paints an image of Mary singing a lullaby to Jesus. Bullard's gentle sways and lilting rhythms reflect the story, while soft dynamics and wa...

Hail, heavenly beam is a powerful and joyful setting of a 9th-century advent prayer. Coloured by rich harmonies and tonal shifts, the piece opens briskly before propelling itself towards a rousing con...

Hail, heavenly beam is a powerful and joyful setting of a 9th-century advent prayer. Coloured by rich harmonies and tonal shifts, the piece opens briskly before propelling itself towards a rousing con...

McDowall's setting of Isaac Watts' Cradle Hymn is beautifully tender, coloured by its rich harmonies, suspensions, and chromatic notes. The melodies are complemented by sustained 'oo's and 'ah's and r...

This anthem is a tender setting of a prayer by St Richard of Chichester. It features on The King's Singers' albums High Flight (SIGCD262) and Christmas Presence (SIGCD801).

What sweeter music is an atmospheric setting of Robert Herrick's popular Christmas text. The carol opens with hushed, interweaving choral lines, creating a soft veil of sound that expands texturally a...